Gordon Henderson

Who was Gordon Henderson?

Gordon Fripp Henderson, CC QC was a Canadian intellectual property lawyer who joined the law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in 1937, and later became its chairman.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Henderson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1934 and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1937.

He was the founding editor of the Canadian Patent Reports and was instrumental in the foundation of the Canadian Law Information Council.

Henderson established the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and was President of the Canadian Bar Association from 1979 to 1980. He also served as Chairman of the SOCAN Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa. From 1991 until his death in 1993, he was Chancellor of the university.

In 1977, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1988. He received honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and the Law Society of Upper Canada. He also served as Honorary Consul to Liberia in Canada, a position that brought diplomatic privileges.

Henderson was a philanthropist, humanitarian and civic leader in his native Ottawa, having founded or lent his support to numerous causes. He was the founder of the Community Foundation of Ottawa and the Ottawa School Breakfasts Program. His decades of service to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation were recognized by the establishment of the Gordon F. Henderson Chair in Leadership to be held by the CEO of the Institute. The University of Ottawa recognized Henderson's leadership through an endowment supporting the Gordon F. Henderson Chair in Human Rights. He also received the B'nai B'rith Award of Merit.